[USS Vanguard] RPG: Tunneling Our Way to the Stars

From: "Andy W. Ho" <andywoho@xxxxxxxxx>

To: USS Vanguard <ncv80221@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 10:48:54 -0800 (PST)

Capt. Dominic Santos
Following Chris' (Soman) post
Tog: Main power down to one-third. We're losing life support! We'll be
completely drained in thirty minutes! Oh! That our mother should see us
now!
Halk simply sat in his chair, speechless.
The communication array came to life.
Kye: Ferengi vessel--this is Lieutenant Dellan Kye of Federation
Security. You are hereby ordered to stand down and prepare for
boarding.
Halk: You'll never take us alive!
Tog: That's the truest thing you've said all day, my pitiful brother!
I'm standing down and lowering our shields. At least they'll give us a
hot meal and a cot tonight.
Tog turned to the Zom's console.
Halk produced a spanning wrench from his pocket and cracked Tog's skull
with it. It made a sickening sound, like a Bolian melon being thumped.
Halk: I'm sorry, brother, but I would rather die with my beloved than
live as a prisoner of the Federation.
Zom simply stared wide-eyed at Halk.
Halk: Make sure he's not dead.
Zom came around the helm console without taking his eyes off Halk and
checked Tog's vitals.
Zom: It's weak, but he has a pulse.
Halk was already pushing buttons on the engineering console.
"Self-destruct engaged," the computer chimed.
Halk: At least I will walk into the Great Treasury with my beloved, arm
in arm.
==========
Meanwhile, Kye's party aboard Hurricane comes into scanning range of
the Ferengi vessel.
Stratford: Transporting long-range torpedoes worked! The Ferengi vessel
is showing heightening levels of warp plasma.
Kye (musing): Why would they vent plasma now?
Vokar: I can think of four reasons. Two do not apply to the situation
at hand. One is an advanced tactical strategy that I do not believe the
Ferengi are capable of applying...
Kye: Why not?
Vokar: Because they would need quantum torpedoes and capable warp
drive, of which they have neither.
Kye: What's the other reason?
Vokar: In preparation for self-destruct. Oddly, it contains the
explosion.
Kye: What! Beam them out of there!
Stratford: We're not in range yet.
Kye: How far out of range are we?
Stratford: Two minutes.
Kye turned to Vokar.
Vokar: Typically, Federation ships vent plasma in the last minute
before self-destruction.
Kye thought quickly.
Kye: Push this vessel to warp.
Vokar: No.
Kye: Why not! Soman designed this thing; it'll withstand!
Vokar: Not the point. The warp plasma also prevents warp drive anywhere
near the crippled vessel.
Kye: While we're sitting here talking about it, we could be doing
something about it!
Stratford: There may be a way. If we can boost our transporter
signatures by linking to their systems...
Vokar: A transporter tunnel. Very good, Mister Stratford.
Kye: Wonderful. You two can publish an article later. How do we do it?
Vokar: We'd have to have their cooperation.
Stratford closed his eyes.
Stratford (in his mind): Desdemona.
Desdemona (looks up from her cot in the brig): Yes.
Stratford: You are in grave danger. Listen and follow my instructions
carefully...
==========
(Twenty seconds later.)
Vokar: ...thereby bypassing the primary EM conduit. Now, if we convince
the Ferengi that the secondary Bussard collector--or the Ferengi
equivalent--could pose a serious threat to their plan, they MAY switch
off the primary nacelle/starship body assembly magnetic secondary
couplings. That would allow us to use our primary power to...
Kye (frowning): This is the "simple" explanation?
Vokar (almost surprised): Why, yes.
Chen'ki: It's all academic, gentlemen. The Ferengi vessel has lowered
its shields. They're tunneling into our transporter systems.
Kye: Beam them out of there! Hold the Ferengi signatures in the
transporter buffer and beam Desdemona directly in here!
There was a brief pause as the tunnel took effect, then the gold of
Ferengi transport signature. Precisely mid-way in the operation, the
transport signature turned to Federation star-shower.
Desdemona stood there, a hydro-spanner in one hand. She grinned
broadly.
Desdemona: Hello, boys! Fancy meeting you here!
Kye: Glad you're back. Let's get moving. Signal the Vanguard.
As Chen'ki did so, he turned to Desdemona.
Kye: So how did you do it?
Desdemona: A little bird told me how to bypass the security systems and
walked me through creating a transporter tunnel.
She turned to Stratford and smiled at the back of his head. A ghost of
a smile played across Stratford's otherwise inscrutable face.
==========
Captain's Log, supplemental.
After...convincing the dockmaster at Hearth II to proceed with possible
speed in the trilithium operation, we have taken Dellan Kye's party
aboard the Vanguard with all hands safely stowed aboard. We will turn
the Ferengi over to appropriate authorities and are on our way to
rendezvous with Commander Soman's party.
Lieutenant Quetan's party is on its way as well. It seems all our
wayward officers are coming home to roost.
All personnel accounted for. All members of the rescue party are to be
commended on two excellent operations. After rendezvousing with Soman,
we'll proceed to Starbase Gamma to await further orders.
End and file.
===========
Qbed walked up behind Capt. Santos as he stood at the window, watching
the Avalanche ease into the shuttlebay.
Qbed: Hey, thanks.
Santos (turned toward her): For what?
Qbed: For dinner last night...what do you think!
Santos chuckled.
Santos: My pleasure. So...what were they like?
Qbed: We spent our days playing board games and our nights sitting
around a campfire roasting marshmallows.
Santos (frowning): You know, sooner or later, I'd like Dellan Kye to
sit down with you and discuss your impressions of them.
Qbed: That would be brief. (She made a raspberry.)
Santos: And you may even consider speaking with Counselor E'thexx. I'm
sure you have a lot on your mind.
Qbed rolled her eyes.
Qbed: But really, thanks.
Santos: Any time. Now, I have to check on Desdemona.
Qbed: You just want a drink.
Santos: Yes, that too.
[End.]
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